Andrew and I got to spend Christmas with the Ohio-Files clan this Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve fixing dishes for the Christmas feast, playing games, watching movies, and then going to my parents’ church that night for their Christmas service. The church was beautifully decorated and the service was full of Christmas songs, worship, a message, readings about the baby Jesus’ birth, and a candlelit version of Oh Holy Night, but I found myself strangely distracted this year. I’m not sure why, or what had captured my attention more than the thing that I should have been concentrating on, but there I was. I left feeling bad that I had not felt the same joy, awe, amazement, reverence, and anticipation that I usually feel thinking about Christmas and what it must have been like that night in Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph and the shepherds in the fields, and all those who were there to witness the arrival of the baby Jesus.

Well, Christmas day came and there were fabulous gifts exchanged and a marvelous feast. After lunch we played our new board games, watched A Christmas Story, napped, ate some more, and finished off the night by watching one of the new DVDs that someone had received as a gift earlier that morning. Last night I had a hard time falling asleep, and then I started thinking about the real meaning of Christmas. I started thinking about what that night must have been like for Mary (what can I say, I have a new appreciation for the pregnant lady in the story), and the sacrifice that God made when he decided to send his son into this broken world. My heart was suddenly filled with the joy, peace, amazement, awe, and pure untainted praise that should come with thoughts of Christmas. As these feelings rushed through my soul, the strangest thing happened…the baby started moving and kicking and I can only assume that there was some dancing and praising going on for her too. I’ve felt her moving and kicking before, but this was different…very different. It reminded me of the story of Mary when she goes to visit Elizabeth:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.'” Luke 1:41-44

I truly believe that we were visited by our Lord this Christmas, and the baby got very excited at the encounter. This has been a Christmas that I will never forget! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Here are a few of the first pictures of our little girl! At our doctor’s appointment a week ago, they said that she weighs 13 ounces now. It’s hard to believe that something so small can be so perfectly developed. We got to count all 10 fingers and toes, and she even waved at us once…it was the most alien like experience EVER, but really fun too!

One of the things that Andrew and I have always disagreed about is the need for Dino to have a sweater. I figure the dog is always cold and plus, what’s the point in having a small dog if you can’t dress them up in ridiculous looking clothes? Andrew believes that a sweater somehow takes away from how macho the dog is (to which I think, “the dog is only 5 pounds…macho isn’t really an issue”). Well, today Dino got his first sweater. Not because Andrew came around to my way of thinking, or even because I was trying to be defiant, but because I found one that was on sale (50% off). We are going to be spending Christmas in Ohio with the Files gang so it seemed like good timing. Here’s a picture of Dino in his new sweater. I have to admit that Dino does look a little embarrassed.